, 1887-11-13
THE ART OF FLAvoRINe.
Chemical solutions which Are Sold ind
the Name of Essences.


Chemical solutions which Are Sold Under
the Name of Essences.
Preparatory to giving recipes for cor
dials or liqueurs, it would be well to re-
cord some sort of protest against the use
of certain artificial chemical flavorings,
which are sold under the name of essen
ces as often as not, without being any
thing like so harmless or so pure. In the
report Of the juries tothe great exhibition
of 1851, we find the following remarks,
that are sufficiently interesting to be
quoted Mt length: Several of the per-
fumes, or rather essences, exhibited are
OF a particular interest, and deserve our
especial notice. We allude to a series of
artificial organic compounds possessing
qualities which permit of their substitu-
ton for natural volatile oils and enc
Most of them are substances belonging to
the group of compound others.
There are several artificial essences of
this kind. Neither the time nor the
quantity of material at the command of
the reporters permitted them to examine
all these products. They were, there
fore. obliged to confine themselves to q
notice of the following:
Pea oil is a spirituous solution of ace
tate of oxide of amyl. The latter may
be obtained with facility and to any
amount by distilling equal parts of cor
centrated sulphuric aciE and fusel oil uhe
oily residue obtained by the rectifcation
Of potato or grain SPIRIT with two parts
of acetate of potash. 1t is remarkable
that the ether itself does not possess a
very pleasant odor, and that its striking
resemblance to that of pear does not be-
come apparent until properly diluted
will spirit. Artificial pear oil is now
prepared in large quantities in England.
1t is chiefly employed in the manufacture
of the lozcngcs called pear drops, of
which the exhibition presents some speci-
mems, so that the flavor in its applied
state may be tested side by side with the
perfume.
Apple oil consists mainly of valeria-
nate of oxide of amyl. 1t is obtained as
a secondary product in the preparation
of valerianic acid, by the distillation of
fusel oil with bichromate of potash and
sulphuric acid. The distillate has to he
shaker up with a dilute potash solution
in order to remove the valerianic acid,
when the ether floats on the top, and
may be removed with a pipette.
Pineapple oil is contributed by most of
the exhibitors of artificial essences. The
specimen analysed was found to consist
almost exclusively of butyrate of oxide of
cthy. 1t is easily obtained by boiling
butyric acid obtained from sugar by
fermentation with putrid cheese) with
strong spirit and a small quantity of con
centrated s%ulphuric acid. 1t resembles
the acetate of oxide of amyl in not pre-
senting the characteristic agreeable fruity
flavor in n pure state; it requires to be
considerably diluted before the odor APP
pears. The oil is largely manufactured
in England, and is employed in the pre-
paration called pineapple ale"
DIR. Hassall says in his Food: Its
Adulteration:'I ''Another essence extern
sively used for flavoring sweetmeats and
confectionery is %ratifia, essential oil of
almonds, essence of peach kernels or
hydride of b%enzoyl. 1t is obtained by
dlstilling bitter almond cake with water,
and it contains from six to twelve per
Gel of prussic or h%ydroganic acid, but
is most variable in its strength. AS
small a quantity as twenty drops has
been known to occasion DEATH There
is another compound of prussic acid,
called ''almond flavor" 1t contains
about one drachm of essential oil to seven
drachms of spirit, but its strength varies
very much. Many fatal cases have re-
suited from the use of this flavoring sub
stance.
Raspberry flavoring for sugar confec-
tioncry is made entirely of currant Jelly
and orris root; ''but," adds DIR. Has
sail, ''organic chemistry has in these
days reached such Il pitch that the odol
and flavor of almost any fruit is capable
OF being initiated. We have recently re-
ccivcd samples Of the following artificial
fruit essences: Essence of apples, pears,
ounce, pincapplcs, raspbcrries, straw
berries, cherries, peach kernels, rum.
gin. cognaC, marasChinO, hops, vanilla,
parsley, celery and curry powder and
tacitIy confesses that he has found no
harm in either. Theodore F.. Garrett
in Practical Confectioner.